Band strapping machine



May 11, 1937- f G. MoR'l-'lMl-:R u 2,080,329 BANDSTRAPPINGMCHNE l Filed June 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOQ.

May 11, 1937- G. MORTIMER 2,080,329

BAND STRAPPINGl MACHINE Imi Y eovje. b3

\N NTORJA @uw M 23 vg@ ATTN.

Patented May 11, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT` OFFICE Application June 1s, 1936, se-ia1 No. 85,913 In Great Britain September 17, 1934 4 Claims.

This invention relates to bandstrapping machines, such as are used for tensioning strapping bands and for uniting the overlapping ends thereof. The chief object of the present inventionis to provide a simple and small machine which will be easy to operate and ecient in use.

The band strap sealing machine according to the present invention comprises essentially one or more punches which are adapted to punch down tongues from the overlapped ends of the band, in combination with one or more slide members adapted to move under the overlapped ends of the band to turn over the tongues after the punches have been retracted effectively to seal the overlapping ends of the band together.

Two spaced punches and two sliding plates are preferably provided, these parts being all operated in the desired sequence by means of a single operating lever or the like.

A cutter is also provided in the machine, this cutter also being adapted, when operated, to seal the free end of the band strap to the part of the band lying under the same, thereby avoiding all possibility of the end of the band catching in other cases or tearing the hands of persons handling the strapped box or case.

Means are, of course, provided to tension the band prior to sealing and said tensioning means are preferably so constructed and arranged to slip should the strain on the band become eX- cessive.

`In order that this invention may be the more clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed `to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, which i1- lustrate by way of example and not of limitation one convenient embodiment of this invention, and in whicht- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine, and

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section through the sealing part of the machine.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section illustrating the manner in which the first part of the sealing operation is performed.

Figure 5 is a sectional under plan View on line 5--5 of Figure 4, showing the inoperative position of the slide members, and

Figure 6 is a similar view showing the slide members operated to complete the seal.

Figure 7 is a transverse vertical section through the cutter and its operating lever showing also the manner in which the gripper is operated.

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view through the cutter showing the method of sealing the free end of the band.

Figures 9 and 10 are two Views of the tensioning device illustrating the two main positions thereof, and

Figure l1 is an end elevation of the machine.

Figures 12, 13 and 14 are views showing the various stages of the seal.

Referring now to the drawings, the device comprises a base on which the whole device stands, this base having cast integrally with it (or mounted thereon) a main bearing block 2|. The block 2l towards one end of the same is provided with a slot 22 extending from front to back and within this slot is mounted, on a pin 23, the handle 24 which operates the sealing part of the machine. 'I'he block 2l is also slotted as at 25` from front to back to allow for the mounting, on a pin 26, of the cutter operating handle 21.

A groove 28 is provided at the front of the machine in the usual manner to receive the overlapped parts of the band to be sealed.

Describing now the sealing part of the machine, the seal is, as above stated, effected by punching down tongues from the overlapped parts of the band and then turning them over, in opposite directions, on the underside of the overlapped parts of the band. The punching member comprises a plate 29 having at its lower end two spaced tapering punching dies 30, this plate being slidably located in a recess in the main block 2|,` which recess is covered by a cover plate 3l. The operating handle 24 for the sealing part of the machine is provided with a forwardly projecting lug 32 which ls located in a slot 32 in the plate 29 so that, when the handle is swung backwards and forwards, the plate 29 is raised and lowered.

The dies 30 co-operate with corresponding female die parts or recesses 33 in a cover plate 34, which covers a recess 35 in the base of the machine. In this recess is slidably mounted a slide block 36 having on its upper surface a recess 3'l in which engages a lug 38 on the operating handle 24, this lug being so arranged that, when the operating handle 24 is swung rearwardly, the slide block is moved forwardly towards the front of the machine. Pivotally mounted on pins 39 at the rear end of the slide block and on the under side of the same are two arms 40, a blade spring 4I being disposed between the slide block 36 and the arms 40.

These arms are cut away at their forward ends to embrace a xed pin 42 carried by the main block 2| and are located between shoulders 43 in the recess. At the front end the shoulders are cut away to form cam surfaces 44 and the arms are provided with co-operating cam projections 45.

Describing now the operation of the sealing portion of the machine, the operating handle 24 has three positions (see Figure 3), being held by a spring-pressed ball 46 carried by the main block 2| in the 4centre .or inoperative position. The rst operation is ito pull .the operating handle '24 forwardly. This is without elect on the slide block 36 since the lug 38 on the operating handle merely moves idly back in the recess 31 in the slide block. Forward movement of :the handle 2,4, however, by reason of the engagement of the lug 32 thereon with the recess in the slot '32 in the die plate 29 forces the said plate down tand punches down from the overlapped parts -of =the band two pairs of tongues 41 (see Figure 12)..

The operating handle is now swung backwardly and, in moving `vto its operative position, raises the plate 29 and frees the dies 130^fgrom1the fband. In mov-ine Vstili further fback to the third position of fthefoperati-ng handle the lug 38 moves the slide block forwardly causing the forward .ends of -ithe ,arms -(which are ,fbevelled away) rst fto become located under the ,overlapped parts .lof the band between the punched down ftongues. Continuedsrnovement in the rearward direction-.fof the handle 2,4 causes lthe arms to -move forward to ,such an extent tirait the ends fof the Icutaway parts move past 1the;xed pin 42 whereupon -the arms are moved ,apart -a-nd the forward ends thereof bearing on the punched down tongues 41 Iturn them over iunder Athe overlapped yparts of the -band (see Figure '13). A very .eiective seal is thereby made. Whentlfle operating .handle 2.4 is returned to its centre, inoperative position the slide ,block 36 -is withdrawn fand, dile to the cam projections 45 .on the arms Yengaging with the cam surfaces .4.4 on ythe shoulders y43 the arms 44 @are gbroughtftogether with .their for,- ward .ends 4embracing the pins ready ior ,the next O pelation.

The whole seal vconsisting 1of Epunching dow-n tongues tand turning .them 4vover -on .the underside of the .band is ythus effected -by -rneans of 4a .single backward and forward l,movement 4.of ,the operating handle .24. Of course,any number .of tongues may be punched :dov/fn, the` appropriate fnumberoi arms being provided to turnover :such tongues.

Describing now .the cutter device,=this, as above mentioned, is operated :by lthe Vhandle .21 .and comprises .a cutter .member 5 0 .slida-bly mounted in a suitably positioned vrecess in the main block 2.1 .and slotted as at 5l .to receive ,the -iorward end of ,the @handle 2,1. IThe lower .end .of the member is cut away so as to `torin .a `cutting edge 52 Aand also, ,between the cutting edge T52 and 4the sealing part .of the machine, is provided with :a male die part :53 .cofoperating with fa female die part or recess 54 .in a cover lpla-te .55 forming a part of `the base .of .the machine .and covering an aperture therein. This vdie ,pa-rt `53,

and the .corresponding recess, ,are .tapered .out`

wardly away from the sealing part .of .the band for a purpose hereinafter described.

Mounted in `the yrecess -which is ,covered by .the cover yplate 55 is ,a .gripper member 56 having a locating pin 5.1 at the `rear end rand being grooved or -roughened at its forward end .as at 58 .to ,cooperate with V,a similarly .grooved or roughened part v59 on the `cover plate 55 to grip the free end of the band. A ycompression ,spring 50 is .disposed y.between the gripper member .56 and the cover plate 55, this spring tending to raise the gripper member. The gripper member is operated by a rod 6| located in the main block and bearing at its upper end on a suitably formed part of the cutter operating handle 21.

This rod is so arranged that, when the handle 21 is thrown right back, the rod is depressed and forces the roughened part of the gripper member56 vintoengagement-with -the part 59 of the cover plate.

When the handle is moved forward (after :the sealing h-as been partially eiected, as hereinafter explained), the rod is free to rise under .the actionfof the spring 6D and so the one end of the band is freed. The cutter is forced down and the cutting edge thereof co-operates with the upper edgeof :thefgripper member to sever the band and :then -the die part 53 functions to seal the upper free end of the band by punching small tongues 6| down from the overlapping parts of the :band v(see'g-ligure 14V) .As ftheimetal Yo1? 'the band .gives slightly .when :the tension is released despitezthersealing by [the tongues thetongues 6| ywill fmoyegslightly'with yrespectito one another and the 011e itongue will 'sbite finto -the sides '.of the aperture iin ythe :other band, :and hence the upper l'tree end .of the band will be effectively sealed .very :close to rits Yend and 'all .possi-bility :of releasing the -sea'l vwithout cutting the 'band will beavoided. I-nforder still further to prevent :the 'v free Aendoi the fband ldamaging the hands =of --a person fha-ndling the box or catching in any obstruction, the cutter is :shaped .so Vas to turn dow-n :the extreme end fof the band -together with fthe underlying part of the 'band into a groove 2 in vthe cover gplate -55 :(see 63, Figure 14).

Desonbing lnow the .tensioni-ng device, this is substantially of the known ltype 'comprising a lower .k-nur-led roller 10 andan :up-per kuur-led roller .1l between fwhich Athe ,band is passed, :tlie

upper roller [l-.i 4.carry-ing ratchet `teeth FH', which are .engaged :by a spring-controlled ,pawl 12' carriedby .the handle 12. Oscillation of -the harndle f1.2 will :therefore cause -the :upper roller 1-I to be advanced. fl-'l ,is aspr-ing-.controlled backstop paw-l. In the -constructions fof a tensioning device of this type heretofore proposed, lthe lower roller fhas l been xedly mounted but, in accordance .with athe present invention, the same 'is carried at one end of a lever arm 13 pivoted at 1.4- in 4the main block 2|, the other end of this arm being @provided with an adjustable pin 15 which is forced up into engagement with the boss ofthe handle 12 -by means of a blade spring 1.6 which bears either on a nut 11 yon the pin 1.5, .as shown, -or on the `underside yof the lever arm 13. It will be seen that the tendency of the spring 1.6 is to move the lower iroller away from the upper roller, it being prevented from doing so by reason of the engagement ,of the pin 15 with Ithe boss. The k,boss is, however, notched as at 18 so that, when the handle 12 is ,moved completely over to the right, the pin ,moves up into this notch and the rollers are freed. This facilitates the insertion and removal of vthe band from the tensioning device. Further, by adjusting pin 1.5 the effective :grip .of the rollers can be adjusted and .the machine can be so set that the rollers will slip if the tension becomes excessive.

In use, the free end of the .band -is inserted under the die .plate 29 and is then passed between the parts .58, 59. The band is then passed around .the box, again under the die plate 29,

over the gripping member 56 and between the rollers 1ll, 1I. The machine is then ready to tension and seal the band. With the cutter operating handle thrown back (and, if required, held back) so as to grip the lower band between the parts 58, 59, as above described, the tensioning handle 12 is operated to put the band under the necessary tension. With the band under tension the cutter handle 21 is taken in the right hand and held back (to keep the band gripped) and the handle 24 is taken in the left hand. Now the handle 24 is pulled forward, the handle 21 still being held back, to punch down the tongues 41. The two handles 24 and 21 are f then moved rst respectively backwards and forwards and then forwards and backwards. On the rst backward and forward movement the tongues 41 will be turned under, as above described, the band will be severed and the free end thus made will be sealed and turned down all as above described. On the next movement, i. e., the forward and backward movement, the parts will be reset to their initial position and the band between the parts 58, 59 will be released. The tension handle 12 is thrown over to its extreme right when the machine can be removed and the box will be eii'ectively strapped.

The necessary movements of the two handles 24 and 21 are, it will be seen, absolutely natural movements which may be easily carried out. The forces work against one another and the arrangement is such that the operator is able to exert the necessary force in the easiest and simplest manner.

Many modications may be made in the above described constructional form of machine without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. A band strap sealing machine, a block, a punch vertically movable therein and adapted to punch down a tongue from the overlapped ends of a band, means slidable horizontally within the block under the overlapped ends of the band and adapted to engage and turn the tongue over, a lever pivotally mounted in the block and having portions operatively connected to both the punch and slidable means, said portions of the lever being located on opposite sides of the lever pivot, whereby movement of the lever in one direction operates said punch and movement thereof in the opposite direction operates said slidable means.

2. A band strap sealing machine as in claim 1, in which the block has a means coacting with cooperating cam surfaces on the slidable means to move said latter means laterally to turn over the punched-down tongues.

3. A band strap sealing machine, a block, a punch vertically movable therein and adapted to punch down a tongue from the overlapped ends of a band, means slidable horizontally within the block under the overlapped ends of the band and adapted to engage and turn the tongue over, said means including a slidable member and cooperating movable members pivoted thereto, said movable members having cam surfaces, a lever pivotally mounted in the block, lugs on said lever operatively connected to both the punch and slidable member, said lugs being located on opposite sides of said lever pivot, whereby movement of the lever in one direction operates said punch and movement thereof in the opposite direction operates said slidablemeans, said block having a pin coacting with the cam surfaces on the movable members to move said members laterally to turn over the punched-down tongue.

4. A band strap sealing machine, a block, a vertically movable punch in said block and having spaced dies at its lower end adapted to punch two tongues from the overlapped ends of a band supported in said machine, two horizontally, relatively movable members Within the block and adapted to move under the overlapped ends of the band, said movable members having cam surfaces, a xed pin in said block between said members and adapted to be engaged by the cam surfaces on the two members, whereby as the members move under said ends they are pushed apart to turn over the ends of said tongues, and means for operating said punches and movable members.

GEORGE MORTIMER. 

